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{
    "id": 1590704,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1590704/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 193,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mandago",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Chairman, Sir. I join my colleagues on this matter of definition of “affinity” and the general definition of “relative” and “family”. The definition of family here is the spouse, dependent child or parent of a public officer, a dependent child of the spouse of a public officer or a parent of the spouse of a public officer. Relative means a person is related to a public officer by birth, marriage, adoption or affinity. Mr. Deputy Chairperson Sir, even relationship by birth should be made very clear because in the African context of relationship by birth, my cousin brother, whose father is brother to my father is defined as being people related on one bloodline. I do not understand what this Bill wants to address. Just as Sen. Cherarkey said, we have so many relatives who we are even related to by blood, but we do not know what they do for their everyday living. Is this Bill telling us then that we, as public officers, should declare all our relatives and the Government should meet their daily subsistence needs? This is because as soon as this Bill passes, it means those people might stop what they have been doing for their daily livelihood and they will be then dependent on the public officer. Is the Government ready to provide subsistence? This word “affinity” should be deleted and we should even give a new definition. It should stop at where we have adoption. This affinity is so wide that it will be open to abuse. Since we cannot say some of these institutions are immune to being politically weaponized, we should make our definitions very clear. I have a problem also on the clause what undeclared assets mean and any asset that is not disclosed in their prescribed manner. If I have declared an asset and probably in the sentences, I have missed one or two letters or missed this, if you go down in that Bill, it means that this asset should be forfeited to the State. I think the law should be providing an opportunity for further details and inquiry. For you to just say that because you are declaring your land and said Block 13/1671 instead of Stroke 13/1617, then you forfeit that asset because you have not declared it in a prescribed manner, that will be a problem. We cannot and we should not allow this House to be used by financial institutions that want to make it difficult for Kenyans to do business, that want to make it difficult for the economy of this country to grow, so that we continue borrowing from them by passing legislations and amendments such as this. I wanted to go on record that we need, as a House, to look at that definition and leave the word “affinity” and even that undeclared assets mean any asset that is not disclosed. That should be dropped completely."
}